Nathaniel Burkett

{{Infobox serial killer

| name = Nathaniel Burkett

| image = NathanielBurkett.png

| caption = Mugshot

| alt =

| birth_name =

| alias = "Criptoe"

| birth_date = 1946

| birth_place = Picayune, Mississippi, U.S.

| death_date = January 19, 2021 (aged 74)

| death_place = Northern Nevada Correctional Center, Nevada, U.S.

| conviction = Mississippi
Manslaughter
Nevada
Second degree murder (2 counts)
Voluntary manslaughter

| sentence = Mississippi
20 years imprisonment
Nevada
10 years to life in prison

| victims = 5–6+

| beginyear = 1978

| endyear = 2002

| country = United States

| states = {{hlist|Mississippi|Nevada}}

| apprehended = For the final time in July 2012

| imprisoned =

}}

Nathaniel Burkett (1946 – January 19, 2021) was an American serial killer who murdered four women in the Las Vegas Valley and his own mother in Mississippi between 1978 and 2002. Convicted of several crimes throughout his life, his exposure as a serial killer came in 2012 through DNA testing. He was convicted of three counts of murder in 2018 and died in prison in 2021.

Early life

Burkett's exact date of birth is not known. He used several different birthdays throughout his life, but what is known is that he was born sometime in 1946 in Picayune, Mississippi. Burkett spoke little about his childhood, other than he suffered from polio, which later caused him to walk with a limp.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/homicides/suspected-serial-killer-pleads-guilty-in-las-vegas-to-murders/?msclkid=4f0f8f11cf2a11ecb377a99eb5988500|title=Suspected serial killer pleads guilty in Las Vegas to murders|author=David Ferrara|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=October 25, 2018}} Due to this, in his adult years he garnered the nickname "Criptoe." From 1965 until his arrest, Burkett resided between Mississippi and Las Vegas, Nevada.{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2012/aug/08/long-trail-sometimes-cold-led-arrest-slayings-1978/|title=Long trail, sometimes cold, led to arrest in slayings from 1978, 1994

|author=Cristina Chang|work=Las Vegas Sun|date=August 8, 2012}}

Murders

Between 1976 and 1979, Burkett racked up numerous arrests that consisted of battery, domestic violence, kidnapping, robbery, disorderly conduct, and rape.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lasvegasworldnews.com/serial-killer-nathaniel-burkett-appears-in-court/9393/|title=Serial Killer Nathaniel Burkett appears in court|author=Chellie Cervone|work=Las Vegas World News|date=December 7, 2012}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.lasvegasworldnews.com/possible-serial-killer-nathan-burkett-arrested-for-las-vegas-slayings/2700/|title=possible serial killer Nathan Burkett arrested for Las Vegas slayings|author=Chellie Cervone|work=Las Vegas World News|date=August 8, 2012}}

In April 1978, Burkett sexually assaulted and strangled 22-year-old Barbara Ann Cox to death in Las Vegas. He discarded her nude body between a parking stall and a wall at 211 W. Wilson Ave, close to where he was living at the time. Cox's body was found on April 22 by Burkett's girlfriend. Shortly thereafter, police located Burkett, who was intoxicated and carrying a bottle of whiskey near the crime scene. He was reportedly displeasing to police and frequently blurted out that he did not have anything to do with the murder. He was found unfit to be interrogated and brought back to his apartment, where he passed out. Since there was no evidence to officially tie Burkett to Cox's murder, he was not charged or questioned again.

Burkett later moved back to Mississippi, where, on April 13, 1982, he doused his mother, Ruby, with gasoline and burned her to death.{{cite news |title=Indicted in death of mother |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101661230/indicted-in-death-of-mother/ |access-date=May 11, 2022|work=Hattiesburg American|date=December 3, 1982}} He was arrested and indicted on a capital murder charge by a Pearl River County grand jury. That charge was later downgraded to manslaughter. Burkett was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1983.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/65-year-old-man-pleads-not-guilty-in-1978-and-1994-slayings/|title=65-year-old man pleads not guilty in 1978 and 1994 slayings|author=Ken Ritter|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=December 26, 2012}}

In 1992, Burkett was released from prison and moved back to Las Vegas shortly after. On February 20, 1994, Burkett raped and strangled 27-year-old Tina Gayle Mitchell less than a mile away from where he had murdered Cox fifteen years earlier. He attempted to hide the body under a pile of towels, but it was eventually found by a passerby. On May 14, 1994, Burkett murdered 32-year-old Althea Williams, later hiding her body under a clothesline near where he had killed Mitchell.{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2012/dec/07/preliminary-hearing-starts-suspect-decades-old-las/|title=Preliminary hearing starts for suspect in decades-old Las Vegas slayings|author=Jackie Valley|work=Las Vegas Sun|date=December 7, 2012}}

Twice in 1997 and 1998, Burkett was arrested for failing to register as a felon and to change his address. On August 19, 1999, 33-year-old Brigitte Mitchell Thomas went missing in Las Vegas. Burkett has been considered a prime suspect in this case. On September 4, 2002, Burkett lured 41-year-old Valetter Jean Bousley behind a church in Las Vegas and attacked her, ultimately strangling her to death.{{Cite web|url=https://guardianlv.com/2012/08/potential-serial-killer-returned-to-las-vegas/|title=POTENTIAL SERIAL KILLER RETURNED TO LAS VEGAS|author=DiMarkco Chandler|work=Guardian Liberty Voice|date=August 8, 2012}} A witness to the crime came forward in March 2003, saying that he had witnessed the abduction. The witness, who was in jail, described how he saw Bousley follow Burkett behind the church. Then, ten minutes later, he saw Burkett walk away alone.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/suspect-some-things-need-to-come-out/|title=Suspect: 'Some things need to come out'|author=Antonio Planas & Francis McCabe|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=August 8, 2012}}

Police uncovered further evidence that implicated Burkett in the murder. He was arrested in October of that year, convicted of voluntary manslaughter, and served six years in prison.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/101439927/man-pleads-not-guilty/|title=Man pleads not guilty|author=Ken Ritter|newspaper=Hattiesburg American |agency=Associated Press|date=December 27, 2012|page=3 }} In 2004, Burkett was required to submit a sample of his DNA so it could be stored on file. In 2009, Burkett, then in his early 60s, was released from prison and began to live a quiet life, residing in his native Mississippi until his final arrest.

Investigation

In 2009, after being granted nearly $500,000 by the U.S. Department of Justice, Las Vegas Metro Police began to run DNA tests in national databases to locate perpetrators of unsolved murders. In 2010, the sister of Barbara Ann Cox made a call to Metro Police's Cold Case Team, pleading for them to review the unsolved case. In 2011, following a forensic examination, the Cox murder and the 1994 murder of Tina Mitchell were linked. Following the breakthrough, police began looking for potential suspects, and Burkett was located. His 2004 DNA sample was compared to the cases and was matched to the samples found at the murder scenes. Following this, Burkett was arrested in Mississippi in July 2012 and extradited back to Nevada to face murder charges.{{cite news |title=Mississippi's Nathaniel Burkett to stand trial in March 2014 for Vegas cold-case slayings |url=https://www.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2013/01/mississippis_nathaniel_burkett.html |access-date=May 11, 2022|work=gulflive.com|date=January 7, 2013}}{{Cite web|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jan/07/prelimin/|title=Trial scheduled in decades-old homicides|author=Jackie Valley|work=Las Vegas Sun|date=January 7, 2013}}

Aftermath

Once arraigned on two counts of first-degree murder and later indicted on a third count related to the May 1994 murder of Althea Williams, Burkett pleaded not guilty. Las Vegas prosecutors sought a death sentence.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/crime/courts/serial-killer-suspect-burkett-to-face-death-penalty/|title=Serial killer suspect Burkett to face death penalty|author=Francis McCabe|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal|date=January 4, 2013}} They later withdrew that possibility after learning Burkett was in the early stages of dementia. In 2018, Burkett pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.

Death

On January 19, 2021, Burkett died of complications from COVID-19 while imprisoned at Northern Nevada Correctional Center.{{cite news |title=55 prisoners who contracted COVID died. Activists say it was preventable. |url=https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/55-prisoners-who-contracted-covid-died-activists-say-it-was-preventable-2323306/#:~:text=Nathaniel%20Burkett%2074%2C%20died%20on%201%2F19%2F2021.%20He,was%20imprisoned%20at%20Northern%20Nevada%20Correctional%20Center.?msclkid=efbadab4cf2c11ec86455b5b67a23cb5 |access-date=May 11, 2022|work=Las Vegas Review-Journal}}{{Cite web |title=Press Release |url=https://doc.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/docnvgov/content/About/Press_Release/Nathaniel%20Burkett%20Death.pdf |author=Nevada Department of Corrections}}